A resolution that would have urged the Big Four Powers to create a new international military force to keep the peace in the Middle East was narrowly defeated at the national convention of Americans for Democratic Action, a liberal political organization, here today. The resolution, which had been approved nine to five by the ADA’s foreign policy commission, was beaten 53-48 after a heated floor debate.

The resolution was proposed to the commission by Prof. Richard Cottam of the University of Pittsburgh and had the support of commission chairman Hans Morgenthau who was said to believe that it would be favored by a majority of the convention delegates. But it was attacked on the floor by Sumner Z. Kaplan, of Boston, chairman of the Massachusetts unit of the ADA, and I.L. Kenen, of Washington, a member of the foreign policy commission and executive vice chairman of the American-Israel Public Affairs Committee.

The Middle East resolution finally adopted by the delegates opposed Big Four efforts to impose a settlement on the region and called for freedom of navigation, secure and recognized boundaries and the provision to Israel of “military equipment which will enable her to deter aggression.”